Compression coupling



July v3l, 1923. 1,463,261

J. H. FUNK coMPREssIoN coUPLING F'ilc-:cljlug 20. 1920 a r f jl Jn-vento?,

@Rumana Patented July 3l, 1923.

narran s'rarasev HOSE COUPLER COMPANY, or str. ARIZONA.

Maasai reinar 4eiseres..

JOHN H. FUNK, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORTO UNIVERSAL CAR AND i LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OLE COMPRESSION COUPLING.

Application led August 20, 1920.

T o all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. FUNK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compression Couplings; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full` clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates in general to couplings. and more particularly to couplings for air and steam pipes arranged on cars designed to be attached to the car coupler .so that when two cars come together the said pipe couplings automatically unite and form a continuous gas tight conduit.

This invention is an improvement upon n' l depending support illustratinfrthe structure the general type of couplings shown yin an application of Onesime Hebert. Serial No. 205.103, filed December 3rd, 1917. In that application there is disclosed mating coupler heads each having a support depending from the lower side and carrying one or more pipe connections each having a compressible extension of rubber or other elastic material at the forward .or coupling end, and so arranged that. when two cars come together and the couplers interlock, the said elastic extensions meet. compress each other, and make a steam or air tight joint.v In the said device the tubular sections are securely clamped in the depending carrier and reliance is had wholly upon the compressibility of the rubber or other elastic-material extensions for the elasticitynecessary in order to make a tight compression joint, In use the elastic material (rubber or rubber composition) of the said couplings becomes unequally strained, and bulges outunder compression in such manner that after standing coupled for a few days the rubber or like material tends to harden and set in distorted form and to lose some of its elasticity, resulting in imperfect connections.

In my improvement the elastic contact faces are not entirely .depended kon to afford the yielding action necessary to make a close connection. In this improvement the tubular section, instead of being rigidly secured in the 'depending supports, are mounted to slide longitudinally therein, and are -pressed Serial No. 404,725.

forward by a strong spring, vthe forward ends of the tubular sections carrying gaskets which, when spring, Aand there is no danger of deformations to which the prior device referred to .is subject.v

In the accompanying drawings. inl which corresponding` reference characters desi'gnate corresponding parts throughout vthe several views;

Figure 1 is aside elevationof apair of car couplers showing my improvement atf tached;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectionI through a of theiinproved vcoupling device;

Figure 3 is a modifiedform of one of the yielding couplings. l

In said figures the improved coupling means is illustrated as attached to a car` coupler of the type shown inl ana'nplication of Onesini'e Hebert. Serial No. 118,103, filed September 21st. 1916. The drawing shows apair of coupler heads A and A" coupled y together and equipped with my improved devices, two corresponding or mating sets beingr illustrated in ycoupling relation lor in the position assumed whentwo cars of a. train are coupled together. releasing the couplings.`

Detachably connected tothe lower side of each coupler head is a supporting member l',

preferably mounted as shown. lOn the under side of each *coupler` is an undercut guideway 2.. Formed on the upper end of the support lis a flange 3, said flangey being guided in the guideways 2 on the underside of the coupler head. By means of'this connection the support 1 may be detachably se-l cured so that it may be removed byislidin'g it longitudinally of the coupler headtoward the front thereof. When fixed in position the support 1 may be secured by any suitable means.l In the embodiment herein dis` closed the rear side ofthe iianged upper end of the support is in contact with the lower end of coupler pin B or BA andthe C is a lever for y'105' S11-prou prevented from movies ferret@ by a movable pin 4 inserted in .a hole 5 in the support 1 behind a shoulder 6 on a guide flange 2 formed on the lower side of the coupler.

The said supporting` member 1 is preferablya steelcasting` although it is obvious it may be machined, if so desired.

ln the embodiment illustrated, the support 1 is provided with three orifices 10 YX- tending fore and aft therethrough to accommodate tubular spring coupling` sections couplingv the brake air, signal air and steam pipes of two cars of a'train. rllhe type of coupling` illustrated, it will be apparent, is

adapted for passenger cars. lli/ly invention, however, may be embodied in connection with a support having a single slidable spring;l coupling' member, for, as is well known., in freight trains the steam pipe coupling is not generally used, the only necessary couplingbeing' one for the air brake or train pipe, although in some instances freight carsare provided with a pipe for brake air and another for signal air. As shown in the drawings, the upper coupler section is that for the brake air pipe; the middle one is that for signal air and the lower one is that for the steam pipe. rllhe steam pipe coupling' is shown somewhat larger than the air pipe couplings in accorciance with standard practice. Aside from different size and disposition in the holder or support 1 the construction of the several coupling devices is the same and a descriptiony of one will suffice for a description of all.

The orifices 10 formed through the supportV 1 are of uniform size from the rear end 11, to the annular shoulder 12 at the front end whereby the size of the orifice is reduced. The rear end 11 of each orifice is provided with screw threads 13, by which a hollow threaded spring-adjusting plug lll may be removably and adjustably plugged into the orifice.-

Guided in the orifice 10 and fitted easily in thesmaller portion thereof within the annular shouldered end 12 and in the bore of the hollow adjusting' plug 14 is a tubular coupling member 20. rllhis coupling member, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a straight cylindrical portionv 21 guided in the hollow adjusting plunr 14, and a slightly larger straight cylindrical portion 22 @guided in the reduced end ofthe orifice 10 formed by annular shoulder 12. @n said coupling member 20 is an annular collar 23 adapted to bear against the inner face of the shoulder 12'to limit the forward motion of said tubular member. Between the collar 23 on the tubular member 20 `and the inner end of the adjustingV plug; 14 a Strona' coil spring 24tsurrounding-said member thrusts it forwardbv its expansive force exerted between adjusting plug 14 and. said collar rThe forward or connector end of the member 20 is enlarged and its front face comprises a counterbored seat 25, which is undercut at 2G, for the reception of a gasket 27. rlhe gasket 2"? is provided with an ei;-

`ernal annular rib or extension 28 which is adapted to fit within the undercut groove 26, the external dimensions of the Igasket correslionding to the internal dimensions of the seat. By this construction the gasket 27 niay be slightly compressed and forced to its seat whereupon it will expand so that the rib 28 will extend into the 'undercut portion 26 and the gasket will be held firmly in place without being` under any strain or compression when not in contact with a corresponding coupling.

By means of the construction disclosed it will be apparent that any desired tension may be placed upon the spring` 2-1- by suitably adjusting' the threaded plug' 1st, and that said tension may be regulated with the greatest nicety. The gasket.v being` firmly seated and surrounded on its exterior by the wall of the metal, cuplike head of the tubular coupling member, is held firmly in place without being subjected to compression when uncoupled or injuriously distorted when coupled whereby the gasket is not likely to become so distorted as to cause imperfect union with a corresponding coupling,` element.

ln the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 2 the tubular member 20 is threaded at 20 in advance of a shoulder 20b while the head of the coupler is provided with a corresponding` female thread 20' whereby it may be united to the member 20. ln ordei` to remove the member 20 the head is unscrewed and the plup; 14 removed, whereafter the member 20 may be withdrawn tirougrh the rear of the orifice 10.

ln Figure 3 l have shown a modified form of coupling device 200 whereby the threaded connections between the head of the coupling' member andthe tubular body is done away with. ln the form shown in Figure 3 the coupling member may be forged, cast or otherwise made in one l ieee. As illustrated a slight shoulder 203 is formed at the junetion of the cylindrical parts 201 and 202 whereby that part of the coupler which is surrounded by the spring,` 24 is slightly smaller in diameer than that part which slides within the reduced portionnof the orice through the support 1. @ver the smaller portion of said tubular member 200 a collar or washer 204 is loosely applied which fits up against the shoulder. 203. By this construction the washer 204 serves as a thrust bearing` for the front end of the coil spring' 24 tend-.inn to keepv the coupling member thrust to its forward limit. rllhe coupling; member 200 may be removed from the support 1 by unscrewing the adjust-ing plus` 145.-

rse

.tubular member` slidable and drawing the'coupling member forward, causing the washer or collar 203 and the spring 24e to slide over the end of the tubular member as the latter is drawn forward.

it will be understood that the rear ends of said slidable tubular couplingdevices are adapted to be coupled to the usual fieXible air or steam pipes 30 by the ordinary standard connecting devices now in use.

Having described my invention so as to enable those skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. in a device of the class described., a support having a front and rear bearing, a in the bearings of said suppo-rt, a collar removably fitted over said tubular member against said front bearing, said tubular member having a yieldable forward end face, a spring housed within the support between said bearings and arranged to urge the tubular member forward and means to'limit the effectiveaction of the spring tending to force said tuaular member forward.

2. In a device of the classdescribed, a support having` a cylindrical lguiding orifice therethrough, the'forward end of .said oritice being reduced in size and forming a forc ward bearing, an internal shoulder, a hollow plug fitted in the opposite end of said orifice, a tubular member having a yieldable forward face guided in said plug and in said forward reduced por-tion, a removable collar on the tubular member adapted to engage said internal shoulder and a spring exerting its tension between said plug and co-l- J lar on the slidable'` tubular member. .l 3. device ofthe classv described, a support having a cylindrical guiding orifice therethrough providing an internal shoul-l der at one end, a. hollow adjusting'plug threaded in the other end, atubular member having a yieldable forward face guided by said` shouldered portion and said hollowl plug, said tubular member having a removable collar adapted toengage said internal shoulder and a coil spring located between said adjusting'plug and collar on the tubular memben' y i 4. n a device of the class described, a suport having a Ouidinev orifice therethrough c. ta z3 t; 7

the forward end of saidk orifice ybeing reduced in size forming an internal shoulder,

a hollow plug removablyfitted inthe opposite end of said orifice, a tubulary member guided in said plug and in saidk forward ree duced portion,

said tubular member'having an enlarged head at its forward end provided with a fieXible engaging face, a'. cylin drical portion slidable within said reduced portion of the orifice, a reduced cylindrical portion rearward of thefportion slidable in said reduced orifice, an abrupt/shoulder at the junction. off said two cylindrical portions, a collar'removably fitted over said tubular member against said shoulder, and a spring surrounding said reduced cylindrical portion andexerting its tension between said plug and said collar.

yIn testimony whereof I affix my signature JOHN H. FUNK., 

